New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-11

worm in the distance, and tie door Of the hun
was propped ofen to give what light was poss DC
of which Gresham awaited himself to scare" ''''
| wet turf over the little space illumnea. a,
at Won don't find it in the fly SAID the
officer "ca]l ont and will help you search INC
ground over which we walked. s.u,,noss
The Young man plunged into the wet darkness
eagerly watched by the little terrier, anu uio
soldier left alone IN inc hIe-nU noS and the
| to the home like cracl<c of the WOOD anu S'e
| Snsolo+o moan of the rain and wind over the
Amt Dora,n ne repeated to himself, and the
little terrier looked up with an intelligent Wink
and received gentle pat in response.
| The wind in sweeping through the open door hao
now completely blown the paper wrapplngs rom
the mysterious parcel, scoverng to the astoh'she
gaze of the watcher the dazzle OF carved siINer'
| A strange way Of sending plate about lie
thought, supposng it t. be a teapot OF o.ner
domestic vessel. until brighter flame showed an
oblong silver caskct Of delicate and beautiful
workmanship, only protected from the rough Drown
papers by thin sheet of white cotton WOOL. which
had beer blown apart by the gusty WIND.
| He could not remove his eyes from the casket'
it seemed aglow with mysterious hie. Inc
ouivering dazzle of the flame, broken as 1t was
by the numerous carved figures it struck, lent
| them an animation and apparent movement, cap
| tivating to the fancy. III the mere exterior was
so costly and beautiful, what treasure lay within
| And what strange influence, stirring vague memo
| emanate0
ycilin before him? His dark face grew tioupieu'
he passed his strong hand quickly over 1T as II TO
dispatc some visionary appearance, and theh gazea
as intently as before upon the shining thing WIN
| its broken lights dancing before him. once more
! in a low voice he uttered the name Dora, as IL
| it held some spell to counter-charm that oil tne
| casket; then the light suddenly sank, and dark
ened the figures sculptured in relief upon IT,
and at the same moment light of stronger memory
famed up within him and he rose and approached
the fascinating box. Two pieces Of wood fell
together and kindled brighter flame, when
flashed upon polished square OF surface anu
lighted up an inscription:
Presented to Lieut-Col w. Dyson, Il. AZ
He had read so far when he started so that the
hand he laid upon the casRet Jerked 1T from its
rough wooden ledge and 10 fell with crash on
the floor at his feet, the jar of the fall causing
a spring lock to lily open. so that the concealed
treasure rolled out before his astonished eyes.
| For a moment he stood like man OF stole, the
pipe dropped from his lett hand, and the red nght
playing upon his pale and rigid features lhefe'
shaken from the purple velvet lining OF the casxet
! Law neither Jewels nor gold, but q small round
cap, with furnished gold band, the undress
cap of an artillery officer; with 1T fell few
papers, bunch OF faded flowers. and tress OF
hair light brown, but stained and darkened In
one place by what he knew to be blood, and
blood shed years ago by his own hand.
Cold drops started upon his forehead, he stepped
thus upon the narrow limits OF the little cell.
Once more he passed his hands before his eyes
as if to dissipate 'some unwelcome vision, but 10
was vain; there still lay the cleaning casSet
with its purple velvet lining, the worn uniform
cap rolling from it, and the papers and the faded
flowers and blood-stained tress showing with
dreadful cearness in tine ruddy freight. 1t was
no dream, no return of the delirium Of wound
fever; all was real and vivid, the rain OF heaven
swept in fimy sheets the bleak waste and
through the open door TO his face, the shep-
herds little shelter was thing OF GARTH the
living terrier sat there staring at the fallen box
which had started him iron his doing dream,
and, all alone he was then. his felow-traveller
would return in few minutes at the latest.
The slight wooden structure shook in the mo-
mentary trembling which had come upon him; ;
the terrier whneo uneasily; Chesham's voice was
heard in the distance.
lie drew long breath, pulled himself together,
and FASTENED to restore the violated casket 10 its
former position. Quickly he arranged the wrap
pings placed the casket upon them, laid the papers
in their place, and the slain mans cap upon them
he recognized the initials A d. In the lining
he pressed the brown hair, darleneG IS il was with
the terrible stain, TO his lips t"only wOman's
hair" Swift said, and restored IL TO It's velvet
bed but the flowers he retained a moment, while
he read on slip of paper attached to them in n
writing he knew. &C. H., Aug. 8, Is" The
pallor He'd from his face as he read, and swift
crimson flashed into it and died away again.
lie was in the act of closing the lid when he
caught sight of folded paper on the floor adj
dressed in his own handwriting in the faded
ink of years ago. He paused and read 1t, a
tumut of unspeal1able emotions rushing through
him he deciphered the long forgotten trivial
words:
Dear Miss Willoughby-I shall be very pleased
to make one of your crew on the river Tomorrow
and will pull any oar you like. L will not fail
to bring some sort of voice for the echo, as
you wish. Sincerely yours, c. d. 49,"
The water party rose up in his memory vivid
and life-lixe, with all the glamour of youth and
passion upon 1t. Was he indeed the young oifi-
Ger who made one of that joyous crew, and sang
careless songs out of an unburdened heart? and
did he indeed pluck those white myrtle blossoms
faded years ago. and breathe the summer air,
and rejoice in the sunshine of that far-of day,
dreaming q dream which he now saw was a
strong realityp
jock the terrier, sprang with welcoming bark
TO the door to meet the returning traveller; he
had just time to drop the letter into the caslxet
and close the lid with a quick snap, which drove
the wards of the lock back into their place. before
Gresham sprang up into the hut with an excama-
ton OF triumph and the pocket-book in his hands.
1t had dropped to the floor, and we had kicked
it under the scat" he explained. Is anything
wrong?"
Nothing, replied the officer. who was sitting
in his former position by the stove, as if he had
not moved. Il dropped my favorite pipe and
broke il you see."
Then he moved little backward, so that his
head was lost in the shadow of the upper part Of
the hut, while his feet remained in the warm
blaze. DO you Think he added, pointing to
the caset "yOu had better leavr that uncovered ?'
Why, it is the precious casketl" Gresham
exclaimed. seeing it for the first time. What
in the world was Aunt Dora thinking about to
leave it cut OF her sight2 Mortal eye besides
hers has seen the inside. IT is we'll locked,
and of course she has the key" he added, going
to it, gently trying the lid and rearranging the
wrappngs with the aid Of string they
found among the shepherds treasures.
And so it was an Arab spear which gave you
that limp" he continued, when they were once
more sitting hefnrc the renlenshed stove lscni NO